Group helping children of inmates

South Carolina prison officials and a religious advocacy group for inmates want to make sure the children of prisoners aren’t forgotten this Christmas.
   
The group Prison Fellowship is running its Angel Tree ministry, matching children whose mothers or fathers are in prison with churches and community organizations who can give gifts or volunteer their time to kids who otherwise might not have much this Christmas.
   
About 10,000 children signed up for the program earlier this year. About 64 percent of the state’s nearly 25,000 inmates report having at least one child.
   
South Carolina Field Director for Prison Fellowship James Murray says the program also encourages volunteers to mentor inmates’ children, who are more likely to end up in prison themselves.